TCFF Film School 2009

Wednesday, July 29
Session 1: Screenwriting
Jim Burnstein ("Ruffian," "Renaissance Man") is one of the few working Hollywood screenwriters living in Michigan. Burnstein heads the Screenwriting Program at the University of Michigan Department of Screen Arts & Cultures, and will share his stories about working in the loneliest area of the filmmaking biz.

Thursday, July 30
Session 2: Documentary 101
Kevin McMahon, Director, "Waterlife"
Canadian director Kevin McMahon edited two hundred hours of footage that he shot all over the Midwest to create his TCFF09 documentary about the state of our Great Lakes. He will take time during his stay in Traverse City to share his experiences with students, covering all of the stages of filmmaking. One third of the class will be left open so that Kevin can work with student questions, giving students time to talk about their own projects and quandaries.

Friday, July 31
Session 3: Women in Film
Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza ("Entre nos")
Between the two of them, Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza had a hand in almost every aspect of the making of their film "Entre nos" -- they worked together to get funding, collaborated to write and direct, Gloria edited the film and Paola played the lead character. These two filmmakers will share their knowledge of what it's like to get a movie made outside of the studio system, and what it's like to be a woman working in what is still, for the most part, a boy's club industry.

Saturday, August 1
Session 4: Making Shorts
Anny Slater ("The Ball"), Aaron Jaffe ("Trim"), Sarah Klegman ("Home Cooked Meal"), and others
For the first time this year, the Traverse City Film Festival has scheduled four shorts programs to play as part of the festival schedule. From animation to live action, from middle school and post-grad students to professional filmmakers, many of the directors and producers behind this year's 50 short films will be in attendance to talk about their films -- one of them all of the way from Australia! They'll tell you about their films, how they made they, why they made them, what distribution has been like, what they plan to do from here, and they'll take questions from the audience.

Sunday, August 2
Session 5: Very American Comedy
Robert Byington ("Harmony and Me," "Registered Sex Offender"), Ben Steinbauer ("Winnebago Man")
The filmmakers behind three of the funniest films in the festival this year, Straight Outta Austin, will present a special class to wrap up our inaugural TCFF Film School. Taking as their subject one of the greatest American comedies of all time, the Coen Brothers' "Raising Arizona," they will lead a lively class about funny business in the movies. This session is rated PG-13 by the Austin Filmmakers Association of America.

TAP Open House and Student Animation Workshop
To celebrate the 2009 Traverse City Film Festival, The Art Place (TAP) is hosting an Open House and Student Animation Workshop (SAW) Reunion on Tuesday, July 28th from 5 - 9 pm.

SAW is an intensive winter collaboration between TAP and Digital Arts Film and Television (DAFT) from Detroit, Michigan. 16 high school students from all over Michigan apply to participate in a four-month, hands-on workshop, producing five animated movies. The intensity of SAW has provided a hothouse for emerging animators since 1988. SAW was held in northern Michigan in 2009 for the very first time.

TAP will be screening all five projects produced at SAW this year, along with past SAW gems. The 30 minute screenings will be at 6 pm and 8 pm and are free and open to the public. Come meet the TAP and DAFT staffs, most of the 2009 SAW students, enjoy refreshments, and watch the amazing animated shorts produced by past and present SAW students.